Are we able to say that life is governed by a group of conscious people? Where are they? Who are they? We see exactly the opposite: that life is governed by those who are the least conscious, by those who are most asleep. Provocative ideas such as these have attracted generations of thoughtful people to the methods of self-study and inner work devised by Gurdjieff, one of the most radical spiritual teachers of modern times. According to Gurdjieff, the wars raging at this very moment are nothing more than millions of sleeping people trying to annihilate millions of other sleeping people. Contrary to popular belief, there is no such as thing as progress and evolution as long as humanity remains asleep. "Two hundred conscious people could change the whole of life on the earth," Gurdjieff says. If we want to become those conscious people, we must learn how to change ourselves. With the help of self-knowledge and an understanding of our relation to the universe, we can awaken to a higher level of being--if we wish to change ourselves.

All of Gurdjieff's fundamental principles and methods of transforming the intellect, emotions, and body, in the system known as the Fourth Way, are presented in this book in his own clear, precise words preserved by his closest pupils. Arranged in an orderly sequence of passages drawn from two primary source books--P. D. Ouspensky's "In Search of the Miraculous," and "Views from the Real World," recorded and arranged by Mme. Jeanne de Salzmann--this material is an indispensable introduction for those determined to undertake the efforts and practices necessary for awakening consciousness. All the basic concepts and methods are covered, including: - man is "asleep" - we have no unified "I" - the need for self-knowledge - functions of the human "machine" - states of consciousness - levels of being - three centers: moving, emotional, and thinking - personality and essence - the possibility of self-development - self-observation - remembering oneself - conscious evolution - the law of three forces - the ray of creation - the law of octaves - the Enneagram, a universal symbol - the variety of spiritual ways - esoteric Christianity - working in groups - the necessity of schools

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About the Author

G. I. Gurdjieff (1866-1949) created an original system of self-transformation that reconciled the great mystical traditions, known as the "Fourth Way" or "the Work." He initially gathered pupils in Moscow and in 1915 organized a study group in St. Petersburg that included P. D. Ouspensky, a leading figure in the spread of the teachings. Amid revolutionary turmoil in Russia, in 1917 he moved to the Caucasus and in 1922 established an institute for his work in France. The sources of the present book stem from this early period.

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Having received this book, and started reading the first few chapters, it is clearly NOT in the voice of writings I have of Mr Gurdjieff.

The only obscure reference to this books real origin is hidden in the forward written by Stephen A. Grant, who, it would seem is the real author of this book.

In my opinion, this is a shameful masquerade to try and sell a book on the back of the Master.No where on the sleeve is there reference to its real authorship.

Had this book been honest and published who the real author was, I may still have ordered it, but in view of the dubious marketing, and the poor representation of Mr G's writings, as I have experienced ( some in manuscript form - available from the Library of Congress) I returned my copy also.

Having read some of it, it lacks depth and heart. It is like the real meaning of the work has been ripped out and what remains is an 'ego' version of the work.

Interestingly, whatever else might be said of Mdme De Salzmann, her book, "The Reality of Being" published posthumously, does have heart and depth.

Anyone wishing to taste a flavor of the real Gurdjieff, would be advised to by the books, actually written by him.

One cannot avoid one feeling about this book, which is that the author/writer, Stephen Grant, believed he was doing something helpful by making it see the light of day. Since it consists almost entirely of extractions from books actually written or spoken by Gurdjieff and Ouspensky there really was no need to do so.

Incidentally, over the last forty years I have come across the mis-use of the word 'forward' when the writer meant 'foreword'. This has mainly been a fault demonstrated by writers and publishers in or from the United States of America. Just look at the other reviews of this book, and have a wander down google lane for more examples...

'Forward' is a direction...'Foreword' is before the rest of the words, at the beginning of a book...

Most helpful customer reviews on Amazon.com

Amazon.com:
3.6 out of 5 stars
41 reviews

Roger

1.0 out of 5 starsDisappointing and Disingenuous

24 February 2013 - Published on Amazon.com

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Having long been interested in Gurdjieff's Fourth Way teachings, I was excited to see a new book by Gurdjieff had been published and I purchased the book. Much to my surprise and disappointment, while the cover claims G. I. Gurdjieff as the author, it is actually written by Stephen A. Grant, a member of the Gurdjieff Foundation. In his foreword, within all the verbiage, Grant admits the book "restates" portions of two seminal books, In Search of the Miraculous and Views of the Real World, from a new translation, and is a "reconstruction" of Gurdjieff's early teachings, and that it was "arranged and edited with a small group of followers of Gurdjieff and Madame de Saltzman."

Dubious, I nevertheless read the book, hoping that this "new arrangement" would provide some insights or clarifications of what are extremely deep and challenging concepts. I was sorely disappointed. Rather than clarifying key components of the teaching, this "new translation" muddles the concepts and makes them even more difficult to comprehend. It also takes the vibrancy and life from Gurdjieff's own words! (One's words don't mean anything!) On rare occasions I did find passages that were elucidating, as in the chapters on the law of octaves and degrees of materiality. Otherwise, the reorganization and the paraphrasing of Gurdjieff's analogies dilute the teaching. The sixteen chapters in Part VII through Part IX, the "how-to" portion of the book, are actually a disservice to those who are new to the Fourth Way. And the idea that Gurdjieff and Ouspensky didn't actually break up but decided to divide the teaching, Gurdjieff with the esoteric, Ouspensky with the exoteric?! Oh yes, that is why Ouspensky came to America in the 1940s, he said if Gurdjieff came he would leave. And, yes, why didn't Ouspensky agree to meet when he returned in 1947 and Gurdjieff asked to meet? To top it off - not once does the book indicate the source of the paraphrasing. This means one is unable to check the text against the original source! Kinda slinky, huh? There is something fundamentally wrong here. How would you like it if some "learned being" took all your letters or writings and "reconstructed" them, and then published them under your own name and gave no references to the originals?

A thoughtful interpretation of Mr. Gurdjieff's work, which was and remains a monumental clarion call to anybody fortunate enough to encounter his splendid gift to serious seekers. Take what you can from this volume and move on, never stopping nor pausing if possible. The work Gurdjieff granted us is an extraordinary opportunity for those who take note of it and continue on.